The Joy of a Dibbun
by Sagebrush Oakjak
Summary: Amber goes out for an afternoon jog- and gets an unpleasant suprise.
1. Default Chapter

Amber loped easily along the path leading away from the abbey excavations. Turning off the path, she jogged into Mossflower woods, and started climbing a gigantic pine. From it's peak she could see for miles. Dark, lush Mossflower, the river Moss, a blue ribbon winding through green forests, and finally the half-finished Abbey of Redwall. She could see her squirrels, lifting beams lifting beams and blocks of sandstone with pulleys made by the sturdy, hard-working moles, and Skipper's brawny otters laying think layers of mortar over the stones. Then she noticed a flash of bright red, running along the partly finished walls. Amber gave a start and without hesitation leapt from the tree and ran for the Abbey as fast as she could.  
  
Abbess Germaine sat on the grass to the side of the path, drawing and reviewing the plans for the great sandstone building. As she sketched, she heard pawsteps beating down on the hard-packed path. Looking up, she saw only a blur running past, and felt a tug at her midriff. Placing a paw on her stomach, she found to her amazement that her habit cord was gone. The Abbess looked in the direction Amber had run in, only to hear, "Sorry Mother, I'll explain later!" Germaine set her parchment down resolutely, and followed the cloud of dust.  
  
Amber ran faster, stringing her belt together with the Abbess's, and grabbed a hook used for clamping beams. She had by now attracted a large crowd of woodlanders and workers breaking for afternoon tea. " What's the matter, Amber?" "Boi okey, summat be oop, but Oi'm sure Oi don't be knowing what!" "Stand back, all of you! Give her some space!" This last command, issued by Martin, caused all the beasts to lapse into a respectful silence and step back. They watched curiously as the squirrelqueen swung her hook, and with complete disregard to the pulley and mole ready and willing to help, began scaling the north wall. Upon reaching the top, she disappeared completely from view, much to the agitation of the woodlanders.  
  
Amber moved quickly along the walltop. The wall was wide enough, but only just, so she had to be careful. Rounding the corner, she saw just what she had feared. A small squirrel, tangled in a bright red blanket, lay prone on the east wall. She ran towards the prostrate form, expecting the worst, and knelt by the still dibbun. Nothing could have prepared her for the response.  
  
The creatures on the ground had started to get worried. They hadn't seen Amber since she started to climb. Suddenly they heard a yell and a bushy tail appeared over the east walltop. Martin and Skipper ran to help her, but before they were halfway there, she pulled herself up, still yelling. It wasn't long until she appeared, climbing angrily down from the wall on her hook and belts. "Great seasons, Amber, what happened up there?" cried Abbess Germaine and Martin at once. " This villain of a squirrelbabe rode up on one of the pulleys and was playing on the walltop! I saw him from my pine tree, and ran to get him, but when I reached the top, he was lying there, wrapped in that terrible red blanket! I thought he had fallen and cracked his skull, but when I got to the little terror, he jumped up and shouted in my face! I almost fell off the wall in fright! Oh, that little..." she trailed off and dumped the squirrel on the ground in helpless rage. He sat there, still giggling and chunnering away to himself, proud of his little trick. " I scared A'ber! I...heeheehee...jumpded up inna face...haha!" Amber grabbed the dibbun and tied him up in his blanket. " Oh, you little villain, now...hehahem. Now you must...heehee...Oh forget it!" Amber gave in to her laugher and dragged the dibbun to the pond whereupon she dunked and berated him at the same time. It wasn't long before the entire Abbey rang with the laughter of all the woodlanders as the afternoon breeze wafted through the excavations. 


	2. The Joy of Dibbun II

A small squirrelbabe, wearing a pot as a hat, sat in a bush, holding a strawberry-rhubarb pie. He stuck out his tongue in concentration, as he fished around with one paw, looking for the candied apple piece he had dropped inside. The pan slipped down over his eyes.

'A likkle closer, 'es, 'es, almost...'

At that moment a slightly older squirrel maid dropped in beside him. She carried a bag and wooden spoon.

'Come on, Dibbs, are you ready yet? We has to get up now before they sees us!'

Dibbs quickly forgot the apple at the mention of mischief.

'I be's ready, Sage! Let's go!'

The two dibbuns, wearing green infirmary sheets as 'camoflage,' wove through the bushes on the outskirts of the pond and headed for the outer wall. They halted just before the stairs. Sage leaned down to Dibbs, and outlined their strategy.

'All right. I runs first, and when I am out of site, you runs. Got it? When we gets to the top, we dashes into plain sight and eats the pie!'

Dibbs nodded grimly, making for a comical little creature, with the old pan slightly askew on his head.

'one, five, !'

Sagebrush darted out, leaving Dibbs to watch and wait. After a fair amount of exaggerated ducking and weaving, she reached the safety of the stairs. Dibbs dashed out to meet her.

As they climbed, he pushed his pot further up on his forehead, and commented sagely,

'We be's good dibbuns, this 'un'll go down in DAB history for sure!'

'If we makes it back unwashed,' said Sagebrush, 'It's dangerous, you knows!'

They finished climbing the stairs, and sat, starting to munch on the pie. They had succeeded in devouring one large piece each, when an figure appeared below.

'Hello, Father Abbot! Mind if I join you?'

The two miscreants giggled, and Dibbs called out in his best imitation of the father's voice.

'Come on up, mista Skip! I mean, Skipper!'

The otter shook his head, thinking to himself ,"As if we haven't had enough trouble today. Two on the pond, one nearly baked in a pie, and now them, up on the wall!"

Starting towards the stairs, he called, 'Sagebrush! Bring your brother down here this instant! You know better than to climb the wall!'

Sagebrush leaned over to Dibbs uneasily. 'Don' tell 'im about the pie.'

Dibbs winked enthusiastically, and yelled over the wall, giving Skipper of Otters a full view of his pie covered face.

'Mista Skip, we likes it up here, and here we be's stayin'!

' Is that so, Master Dibbs? And pie, too? If you don't come down this instant, I'll have to MAKE you come down!'

Sagebrush slapped a paw across her face.

'Dibbs! I told you not to tell!'

He shrugged. 'I din't, don' know how he figured it out!'

She sighed in exasperation. 'Well, we gotta go to the baffs now. There be nothin' for it.' They dashed down the stairs, hoping to avoid Skipper, only to discover he was waiting at the bottom. He grabbed on in each arm and carried them off to the dormitories, giving them into the care of the presiding sister.

He was heading back to find the Abbot, when he remembered that Dibbs had been eating pie.

Back on the wall, Skip got a mouthful of strawberrry rhubarb and chewed in bliss. Then, with an odd look on his face, he remarked to no on in particular-

'Ahh...wait, wots this? Apple in my pie?'


End file.
